Adam Sandler grows up wiser, funnier

CEBU, Philippines – In Columbia Pictures’ new hit comedy Grown Ups, America’s favorite funnyman Adam Sandler plays Lenny Feder, who was once the ringleader-of-sorts among his childhood buddies, the one who could convince the others to do the silly things kids do. He’s since grown up to be a wheeling, dealing Hollywood agent.

Sandler stars with Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider who all play best friends when they were young kids and are now getting together with their families on the Fourth of July weekend for the first time in thirty years. Picking up where they left off, they discover that growing older doesn’t mean growing up.

Was Sandler worried before starting production that there would be any unhealthy one-upmanship amongst the stars? “No, no,” he says. “I think we might have been competitive in our 20s, but that’s the beauty of doing a movie together in our 40s.”

Grown Ups director Dennis Dugan and Sandler have worked together many times and enjoy their collaboration. Dugan admits, “It’s very fun and very challenging. I always thought I was the hardest worker on earth until I met Adam and then I realized that I was at best second. Like this one – Adam thought up the movie, co-wrote the movie, stars in the movie, and produces the movie, so he’s pretty involved. He’s very challenging – he always wants your work to be fresh, new, and creative.” 

Adam has enjoyed phenomenal success as an actor, writer, producer and musician. His films have grossed almost $3 billion worldwide and include the recent box office smashes Bedtime Stories for Walt Disney Studios; Sony Pictures’ You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and Universal’s comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. 

Sandler was most recently seen in Universal’s Funny People, written and directed by Judd Apatow and starring with Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Erica Bana, Jonah Hill and Jason Schwartzman. Next year, Sandler will star in Sony’s Just Go With It, opposite Jennifer Aniston, and will lend his voice for Sony’s comedy Zookeeper alongside Kevin James, Jon Favreau, Sylvester Stallone, Faizon Love, Leslie Bibb and Rosario Dawson.

Previously, Sandler has been seen in the starring role opposite Don Cheadle in Sony’s Reign Over Me for director Mike Binder and the box-office hits Click, starring with Kate Beckinsale, and The Longest Yard, starring with Chris Rock and Burt Reynolds. He also starred in James L. Brooks’ Spanglish, opposite Tea Leoni; the romantic comedy 50 First Dates, with Drew Barrymore; Anger Management, with Jack Nicholson; and Paul Thomas Anderson’s Punch-Drunk Love, for which he received a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination.

Opening soon across the Philippines, Grown Ups is distributed by Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International. Visit www.Facebook.com/ColumbiaPicturesPH and like the fanpage to get the latest movie news, video clips and contests. (BANATENTERTAIMENT)